Some American Magic
by Emerald Flame
Summary: A new American DADA teacher has shown up, and she brought her daugter. Since Harry's year (minus Slytherin) has learned so many magical defenses...its left to this family to teach the physical methods of defensePLEASE READ AND REVIEW!CHAPTER THREE UP
1. Invasion of the Americans

Hey all, this is my first HP fanfic, so don't kill me. This one is MINE, not my friends! lol I hope you like it. 

  
  
  
  


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Title: Some American Magic

  
  


Disclaimer: I DO NOT own anything you recognize in this story. All that stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling. I DO own Adessa, Elane, and a couple other characters that will show up. 

  
  


Note: My italics DO NOT work, so anything supposed to be italicized will be surrounded by /s. /word/ -- like that. 

  
  


Chapter One: Invasion of the Americans

  
  


Harry fidgeted impatiently in his chair, fingering his Head Boy badge, and waiting for the last of the first years to finish being sorted. He smiled in anticipation of the upcoming feast, when the last of the new wizards was called to sit upon the stool. Just as the Sorting Hat shouted, "Hufflepuff!" through the slit it used as a mouth, the doors to the Great Hall burst open. Two women strode in quickly, obviously agitated, and want quickly to Dumbledore's table. There was mild curiosity in the Headmaster's eyes, as he held up a hand for silence, for the moment the doors had opened, the whispers had begun.

  
  


Ron was among the whisperers. "Who's that?" He asked, "I wonder if it's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I hope she's not like last years!" The people that heard that last comment muttered fervently, /not/ wanting a repeat of last year's Umbridge woman. Harry didn't say anything because he was staring at the two that walking up the aisle between tables. They could've been twins, those women, all except for their clothing, and a slightly obvious age difference. Harry fingered the scar upon the back of his hand which read, "I will not tell lies," and memories of murtlap essence filled his head. Harry's eyes traveled restlessly over the two women, taking in their identical golden-brown hair streaming down their backs and their muggle clothing, a sight Harry had come to associate with boredom, angst, and aunts, uncles, and annoying cousins. 

  
  


Because the women were exactly similar in feature and hair, they could have been twins. Had their clothing been the same and had one not had a slightly younger face. The younger looking one was wearing tight jeans, a dark magenta shirt, and shoes that were called....iHarry struggled to remember/i...Platforms! Black platforms, and a nice jean jacket to complete the outfit. The woman that looked to be slightly older was wearing a long black skirt, of a thin, gauzy material, with boots that showed when she walked, and a white blouse. Over that, she was wearing a long, light blue jacket that extended halfway down her skirt. As they passed by Harry, he saw they both had startling green eyes, and before he could look away, he met the younger pair, and watched in shock as barely manicured eyebrows rose, crinkled with mirth. A "Hmpf!" sounded from behind him, and he had to look away from those beautiful eyes to see Hermione pouting at her and shooting deadly glares at the backs of the women walking towards the dias.

  
  


Once the women reached the standing wizard, Dumbledore smiled and spoke to them as if he only knew them slightly. "Professor Thompson," A triumphant noise erupted from Ron beside Harry. "Elane. And young Adessa. How are you?"

  
  


Dumbledore nodded at each of the women as he addressed them, but seemed to miss the squeak of indignation from the woman, now identified as Adessa, when he called her "young."

  
  


"We're fine, we're fine." The one named Elane said, and everyone noticed the profound American accent. Not Southern, but without the beauty of the British mixed in. The whispering started again. "We would be better, Albus," She continued over the whisperers. "Had you warned us that this was a no Apparate area." Dumbledore looked at her blankly. "We tried to Apparate in, Albus! We were left unconscious for several hours outside the gates, hence our late arrival."

  
  


People around the Great Hall were wincing and giving pitying looks to the Thompsons. After a few minutes of profound apologies from Dumbledore (and from Hermione, some snickers of uneducated people who hadn't read Hogwarts, A History), the Headmaster addressed the student body again (Ron elbowed Hermione sharply, and Hermione realized she was talking about her friends).

  
  


"Everyone, I would like to present to you your new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Elane Thompson, and her daughter Adessa. Both of whom transferred to Hogwarts from W.U.A., or the Wizarding University of America. Adessa will be joining the sixth year here, because she has already taken her Ordinary Wizarding Level Tests. Adessa just needs to be Sorted." The headmaster turned to address the jeans clad girl. "If you will please seat yourself upon the stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head."

  
  


Adessa walked calmly to the stool, her hips swaying slightly, Harry couldn't keep from noticing. She sat down gingerly, then placed the hat upon her head. 

  
  


Finally, the Hat said, "Hah!" And everyone jumped and turned their attention to the girl upon the stool, from the lack of food. Everyone's hopes lifted.... "I shall put you in..." Then dropped, because the Hat trailed off before completing his thought. Everyone sighed and waited. Now, some giggles were starting. Again, the Hat said, "Ah, hah! I shall put you in...." Again the Hat trailed off (groans could clearly be heard throughout the Hall), but then the Sorting Hat's brim lifted in what only could be a smile, and shouted, 

  
  


"Gryffindor!"

  
  


Cheers erupted from Harry's table, but the cheers were hesitant, and half-hearted at best. The only full hearted cheers came from Harry. 

  
  


The new Gryffindor swept the Sorting Hat off her head and placed it upon the stool. She then walked up the aisle that Harry was sitting on, and came in their direction.

  
  


"Scoot over!" Harry murmured urgently to Ron, who tried to oblige, but Hermione, on the far side of Ron, wouldn't budge an inch. "Move Hermione!" Ron hissed, but she didn't. There was a scowl upon her face. Ron elbowed Hermione, but she just elbowed him back. Finally, after an elbow match, Ron succeeded in shoving Hermione over. "Move! Hermione-"

  
  


"Excuse me." A cool voice cut through Harry's, making him look up in startlement.. "Is this seat taken?" All Harry could do was barely shake his head, and Adessa slipped down between Harry and Ron. Hermione's scowl deepened, but Harry didn't notice. 

  
  


"My name is Adessa, if you didn't hear." She stated with a smile, and a covert glance just for Harry. Harry smiled back, and almost didn't notice the food appear because he was caught in the American girl's eyes. He realized he was staring. His cheeks erupted in a blush, and he looked down quickly. 

  
  


"I'm from Washington, D.C. I can see you're Harry Potter," She pointed with a chicken leg at his exposed scar. Harry brushed it uncertainly. "I took my O.W.L.'s to see if I would be okay in the sixth year." Adessa shrugged nonchalantly, not realizing that she was talking very quickly, "I did average on everything except Defense Against the Dark Arts. I scored really high there. But isn't that logical? Having my mom and all." She nodded at woman that had taken her seat next to Professor Snape. "How'd you do?" She asked, polite curiosity filling her face. 

  
  


"The same." He mumbled through a piece of pie. His brain didn't seem to be working right, nor could he keep his eyes off the American girl. He kept blushing when he realized he was staring, so he tried to keep his eyes down. That continued for several minutes, with Ron sniggering in the background in the midst of Hermione's sniffing. 

  
  


"Oh, that bread looks good!" She exclaimed, and reached for it at the same time Harry did. Harry's hand landed on top of Adessa's and a shock ran through both their hands. She violently flinched, nearly jerking her hand from under his, and her face went go a pasty white. His hand lingered, but he pulled back when he saw the extreme agony that had sent her reeling. 

  
  


A sigh of relief echoed from Adessa, and he felt aware of sadness and remorse at the fact he, Harry, might have been the cause of her pain. Or that she might have someone she wanted more... Harry cut that thought off before he could finish it. He shook his head, rubbed his eyes, and looked back at Adessa, only to meet Hermione's glaring ones. Harry looked down, them picked up the forgotten bread. 

  
  


Harry placed a slice on her plate, and another on his, and they both reached for the butter at the same time. Adessa snatched her hand back, and Harry met her pair of troubled orbs. She murmured an apology, which he echoed. He took some butter, then placed the container on the table for her. The table resumed how it had been before Adessa had started talking, but this time with an uneasy silence. Finally, diner was over and Adessa stood.

  
  


"Excuse me," She said softly, "My mom and I need to get settled in." Harry nodded numbly and Adessa walked up the aisle to converse with her mother. The professor rose, and strode down with her daughter up between the tables and through the Great Hall doors.

  
  


"Well," Hermione began, "Isn't she just a-"

  
  


"Don't." Harry cut her off, his eyes still upon the door.

  
  


Hermione stopped in surprise, but that just gave Ron the moment he needed. "Denied!" He shouted, almost at the top of his voice, causing some strange looks. Harry was startled out of his brooding to hit Ron on the top of his head, making him spill fruit juice all down his front. "Huh. You don't need to get that upset. She totally had the eye!" 

  
  


Harry groaned at Ron's mocking tone, and hit him again, his spirits lifted once again. "Say," Ron said brightly, "Want to go and get some Quidditch practice tomorrow?" And Harry's head almost flew off his shoulders. For he hadn't ridden a broomstick since nearly two years ago. 

  
  


"I can't wait!"

  
  


*******************************

  
  


"This can't wait!" Adessa nearly shouted at her mother, flinging her hands up in anger as Elane calmly unpacked her clothing in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. "Mom! He touched me! He drained me! He took all my power, leaving me shield less! Powerless! Defenseless! The one we were sent to protect and help touched me and I had nothing!" Tears of fury were starting in her eyes. Her mouth twisted bitterly. "And you, just don't care, do you." The professor didn't answer. "DO you?"

  
  


"Not right now, Dessa!" Her eyes flashed angrily, as she whipped around to confront her fuming daughter. "We have bigger fish to fry right now! Such as getting the entire school to except me, let alone you." She sighed, her anger evaporating at the immensity of that job. "Look. The American Wizarding Association is completely relying upon /us/ to discover where He is. We can't worry about trivial things now..." She trailed off speculatively, and began to search for something in her suitcase. She dug for a moment, then triumphantly whipped a pair of gloves out of her bag. A thin, gauzy type glove. "Here. These will keep you from being hurt by his so called 'draining powers,' and hopefully help your paranoia as well." Her mouth twisted up into an identical grimace as Dessa's, like she was sucking on lemons. "Try them on." 

  
  


Adessa slipped the gloves on, and they disappeared. "I can't feel them!" Adessa cried in delighted shock.

  
  


"Of course you can't, Dessa. You won't, and nobody else will either." The mother and daughter grinned simultaneously, and anyone watching would have been surprised at the similarity between those smiles.

  
  
  
  


AN: THIS IS NOT A MARY-SUE!!!!!!!!!!!! Just wanted to say that. My muse kept going on about how this is SUCH a Mary-Sue-ish beginning. Don't worry, the adventure and mystery part will come.

  
  


"How am I supposed to protect him, if I can't 


	2. Potion's Savior

Chapter Two: Potion's Savior  
  
  
  


Harry kept looking toward the Great Hall doors, waiting for Adessa to come, and the open windows on the ceiling and calls, waiting for the mail to arrive. Hermione finally shoved food under his nose, and forced a fork into his hand. "Eat." She said, "I heard that Adessa eats with her mother at breakfast." Harry glanced up in shock as Hermione hit the reason right on the nose, then smiled ruefully.  
  


After a few minutes, Professor McGonagall walked down the tables handing out schedules.   
  


"Brilliant!" Ron cried, "We have a free double period this morning! We can go visit Hagrid or something!"  
  


"Uhh . . . " Hermione hesitated, looking at her schedule as Harry glanced down at his. "Um, Ron? I don't have a free period . . . " She trailed off and leaned over to look at the parchment in Harry's hand. "Harry doesn't have it either. We have Double Potions. Ugh . . . " Harry groaned with her.  
  


Ron looked down, obviously hurt, but trying not to show it. "It's okay . . . You two go . . . "  
  


"Sorry, Ron . . . " Harry and Hermione apologized, then raced out of the Hall.  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
  


Harry and Hermione sat down next to each other in silence, at a loss of what to say to Ron. Just when Hermione opened her mouth to say something, Professor Snape stalked in.   
  


"Settle down, settle down." He said menacingly, and his glance lighting upon Harry. "Today we shall strive to create the potion called Letharga. This potion causes what an inexperience eye would call temporary paralyzation, or really, extreme loss of speed to the extremities. I trust you all did the reading on this difficult potion, so I need not explain further. However," He held up a long, white finger, "A heavy hand can immobilize the body forever. The directions are upon the board," The Potions Master waved his want and instructions appeared upon the board in the front of the room, "And the required ingredients are in--"  
  


"Sorry! I'm late!" Adessa burst into the laboratory, out of breath, her hair falling out of a hasty ponytail. "Sorry!" She repeated. "I was having breakfast with my mom and we lost track of the time . . . " The girl trailed off at the cold expression on his face.  
  


"Sit!" He commanded, his usually silky voice cracked with the effort of not screaming. Adessa bit her lip, and slipped into the seat beside Harry.   
  


"Heyla." The interrupter said as she squinted at the board.   
  


"Hey." He said dully, keeping his eyes down.  
  


"Oh, my God!" Adessa exclaimed, interrupting again Snape's train of thought, her eyes widening. "We learned to create this potion last year. It was *so* easy! The Letharga Potion, right?"  
  


"Yes." Snape, fuming, had stalked up behind her and was looking down his nose at her. "If you are so, adept," His lip curled. "At the composition of his potion, then please tell me what smell should be arising from the potion when it is completed."   
  


"Vanilla." Adessa answered without hesitation, and began adding ingredients to her cauldron at rapid speed as she continued to speak. "And that smell is why, many a times, this potion has been accidentally added to many bakery goods. Just by a baker's mistake of smelling a vial, instead of checking labels." Everyone looked at her in awe.  
  


Except Hermione who muttered, "I knew that . . . " As she strove to catch up to the girl.  
  


Snape marched angrily around the room for the next hour, taking points away from Gryffindor's for the pettiest excuses. Such as, "Your sleeve is near your potion! Five points from Gryffindor!" And others akin to that. For the third time, Snape stopped in front of Harry's just finished potion, his nose wrinkled in disgust. He took a big whiff, then smiled in glee.  
  


"Mr. Potter, your potion has the odor of rotten eggs! Did you not hear what Miss Thompson said about the odor of a finished Letharga Potion?" Harry nodded glumly, then sniffed his potion. Indignation flooded into the Gryffindor's mind, for all he could smell was vanilla.  
  


"Then this potion is completely useless. Evanesc--"  
  


"Professor." Adessa cut through Snape's spell, interrupting him again.  
  


"What?" The Potions Master was white with barely contained fury.   
  


"Stop your spell." Adessa cooly regarded the livid Professor, who had anything but a calm eye.  
  


"And why," His fist opening and closing in a pattern known only to him, "Should I stop?" Harry could see Snape's other hand shaking on his wand. Hermione and Harry exchanged startled glances.   
  


"You're about to erase the wrong potion."   
  


A tic had begun to appear by Snape's eye. "And how would *you* know which potion would be wrong or right?! You are merely a student. I am a Potions Master!" His hands were clenched tight into fists, starkly white against his black robes.  
  


But Adessa regarded him with a calm eye. "Your sense of smell is obviously faulty then." Gasps echoed around the room, Hermione and Harry among them. "Unless of course," She held up a finger, "You are *favoring*," She placed special emphasis on that word, "The students from your house . . . " Adessa left it hanging, the thread placed.  
  


Snape's mouth worked silently, his eyes wide with shock staring into her slightly concerned ones.   
  


"Here." She curled her forefinger in a summoning motion and a wisp of mist drifted from above Malfoy's cauldron to Snape's nose. At Dessa's nod, he took a sniff. The Potions Master's face wrinkled in disgust. Sneezing, he drew his wand. Glaring at the student that had corrected him, he marched over to Malfoy's cauldron. Harry looked away, trying not to gloat, then turned to his defender, while trying to hear Malfoy's whines and pleas, and Snape's angry snarls.  
  


"Thanks." Harry said with a grin. "I owe you one."   
  


"No prob." She responded with a smile. At his blank look, she winced and said it was an American expression.   
  


When Potions was finally over, Adessa said a quick goodbye to Harry and Hermione, then left, saying she had to speak with her mother before Snape did.   
  


It was only after her the last swish of her robes had rounded the corner that Hermione turned to Harry.  
  


"Did you see what she did in there?" Harry's best friend demanded, and as Harry started to describe sarcastically the scene, she cut through his narrative.   
  


"Did you realize what she did?" She asked in exasperation as they headed toward the Gryffindor common room. At another blank look from Harry, she visibly got control over herself. She finally said in a quiet voice, "She summoned the mist from Malfoy's cauldron, that was, might I add, the whole room away, and bloody well *didn't use a want*!"   
  


Now Hermione was receiving some strange looks from the people in the hall. Harry placed a reassuring, but embarrassed hand on her shoulder to calm her down.  
  


"I swear. There is something strange about that Adessa Thompson, and I am bloody well going to find it out!"   
  


And with that, she stormed away, heading toward the Library, and leaving a very confused and disturbed Harry behind.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  
  


Please? *puppy eyes*

I TOLD you it wasn't a Mary-Sue! lol

Please review and flame, if you wish.

  
  


Thanks, Liz


	3. Defence Against the Dark Arts Class!

****

DADA Class

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize in this book is completely J.K. Rowlings. I wish it was mine, but it's not. Only Elane and Adessa are mine, though two more charries of mine will show up later.

REVIEW WHEN YOU FINISH READING! PLEASE!!

All my reviewers have gone away! *goes in a corner and cries* 

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"Mo-om!" Adessa whined to her mother, "That's not fair! I was only stopping Snape from erasing the wrong potion! Why are you giving me a *beeping* detention? What did I do to deserve this? I only helped my charge from getting a failing grade on his Letharga Potion! Why?"

Professor Elane Thompson swung around from leaning on her bed and grabbed her daughters shoulders and shook them slightly. "Do you realize how god damn close you got to getting us /both/ caught???" At Adessa's confused look, she sighed and waved her arm in a circular motion, the palm flat as if against a wall. 

An image appeared in midair. 

The image there was Adessa reprimanding the Potions Master, then summoning a wisp of that smoke. That image flickered into black, then another rose from the depths. This was of Professor Dumbledore, sitting in his office, looking over some official looking paper. He suddenly straightened, his brows drawn together in startlement and confusion, then Elane came charging in his office, obviously having come from the lavatory, and touched a finger to his forehead. A little flash of white light passed, to find Professor Thompson perched elegantly in a plushy chair in front of the Headmaster's desk, looking at him with concern. 

"Are you alright?" She asked, her brows flitting together.

"Yes, yes...Elane? What were we talking about?" Confusion seemed to be his emotion of the day. "I seem to have dozed off for a moment. It must be oncoming age." The professors chuckled a bit over that.

"I was just discussing the last minute details of my Defense against the Dark Arts class now changed to...." 

And the image faded. 

"Now change to what?" Adessa asked curiously after sighing her relief, her head leaning to one side as she contemplated her mother's words. 

"Nothing to do with you, honey. Now go to lunch." A conspirators look crossed Elane's features. Her feet shifted slightly.

"Tell me. I can read that you have a secret, even without you blinking every five seconds. It's quite obvious to my p----" 

"Alright, that's enough. Now go to lunch." She commanded, then just when Adessa was about to open the door, she said, "And don't, under any circumstances, well, unless, you know--, never mind, use any of your powers outside this room or anywhere else on the Hogwarts property. I'm not even sure this is still safe."

"Are your protections still functional?" Concern seemed to be everyone's look today.

Another strange wave of the mother's hand, and the walls were suddenly bathed with a white pulsing light, which faded after Adessa's satisfied click of her tongue. "Can I still converse with the winds? If only to get the latest info on my sis...."

"Yes, yes, if you must. Now go!" She replied with a mocking glare.

"Good. See you later mom." And with that, she opened the door, and flounced out into the hallway.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So what class is next for you guys?" Ron asked with a forced grin, as he finished chugging his pumpkin juice with a satisfied sigh. 

"We have the same class, Ron." Hermione said with a roll of her eyes as she took her place at the table. "Defense Against the Dark Arts, with the new teacher Professor Elane." A pointed look was aimed at Harry. "Or Adessa's mother." Hermione scowled slightly as Harry's face brightened, then she grabbed a piece of white bread. "If we don't hurry, we are going to be late. And how would that look on our first day." 

And with that, she marched out of the Great Hall, with a disorganized Harry and Ron trailing behind her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Five minutes later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had given the password to the Fat Lady and had entered the large common room. A new notice caught Harry and Hermione's eyes and they grabbed Ron from going up to the bedrooms and pulled him over. They had to scare away a group of third years to get a closer look. 

The message read;

ALL SIXTH YEAR DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS STUDENTS: YOU MUST WEAR THE SPECIAL UNIFORMS TO CLASS PROVIDED UPON YOUR TRUNKS IN YOUR ROOMS. 

It was signed Elane Thompson in a loopy script. 

"Well?" Hermione said impatiently as Harry and Ron continued to stare at the notice, as if trying to find a secret message. "Should we go see this 'special uniform'? We had Defense Against the Dark Arts soon." 

"Yeah, let's go look." And the trio hurried up to their respective rooms. They found a pair of thick rough pants and a hooded shirt along with a t-shirt and shorts, all in a dark grey with golden and red hems. Harry smiled when he saw them, for he knew what they were. A screech from the girl's dormitory called the boys back to the common room, where they heard Hermione yell again, "Sweats!"

Looks from around the crowded room were drawn, and Ron could be plainly heard to say, "What are these bloody things?" 

Hermione was now in the common room, and she grinned happily from beneath the things that had been in the guy's rooms. "Sweats!" She said irritably, "For working out! They're really comfortable!" At Dean and Seamus's dubious looks, she rolled her eyes and her sleeve. "Feel the inside. It's soft." Soft ohs came from all the wizarding-born boys, and by now the girls had come down, all in grey. Parvati's voice had a tint of annoyance as she place her hands on her hips, "Go change!" She ordered them, and they scurried to do her bidding, while Hermione and Lavender giggled. After all the boys had changed, they all gathered down in the common room to see the girls waiting for them there. Talking. 

At the noise of the boys stomping down the stairs, Hermione looked up then leaped up as well. "Tripes! We're late!" She said, and they all went charging out of the portrait hall – leaving a very disgruntled Fat Lady behind – and hurried to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When the Gryffindors reached the classroom, the doors were shut and locked. They paused outside, winded from the near headlong race from the Tower. The Gryffindors stopped in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts closed doors, and Ron tried to pull them open. 

"Nothing." He said as he stepped back from the doors, but just after turning away, the doors swung open of their own accord. Professor Thompson then stepped through, and shut the doors quietly behind her. She was wearing sweats as well, though hers were a pure white.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts." She began, "The reason we are all standing in the hall right now is because my daughter, I'm sure you all have met Adessa, is preparing the room for today's, and everyday's, lesson. I know you must be wondering, 'why are we wearing these weird Muggle clothes,' but don't worry. All will soon be explained." The professor met all their eyes one by one, "This class is different from any others that I am teaching, but before I can say more, will you please all leave your books and bags outside the door. Don't leave your wands, though you'll not be needing them, because I'm sure Peeves will steal them." She grinned widely at the Poltergeist who was floating by while whistling innocently, apparently not noticing the groans that met her words of "you will not be needing" the wands. She continued, "My daughter should be ready now, so let us proceed."

The professor turned to the doors and pushed them open gently. The Gryffindors gasped at the room before them, for it was nothing like the DADA room they remembered from their first four years. It was a huge room now, high ceilinged, and all the desks had been moved to one wall and stacked there. What had once been marble on the floor was now a squishy sponge-ish material that you almost sank into when you stepped onto it. In the center waited Adessa, in the same sweats as the other Gryffindors and her mother, yet hers were a pitch black. The new Gryffindor looked up as they approached the white line drawn upon the black floor, and stepped up to join the Gryffindors ranks. 

"Thank you, Dessa." Professor Thompson nodded her head to her daughter. "Alright. Now I shall explain. This class, and the classes from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff in this year, has already learned both the basic and advanced magics, according," She coughed slightly, "To Dumbledore who told me of an illegal," She coughed again, "Club started last year." A few nervous twitters from the crowd and Harry's blush drew another smile from the Professor. "So, in light of this news, I decided that reviewing this curses and defenses would be wasted time, because I heard also who was running this, hm, club." Her eyes locked with Harry's. "I also know why the club was founded," A wink. "And I also know the results, as all of you do." The professor paused then seemed to brace herself for a plunge off something.

"The course for this year is going to be, not how to defend yourselves with a wand, but with your own strength, agility, and speed. This is going to be mostly consisting of a physical workout, and a martial training. This class should really be called DAMA, for Defense Against the Martial Arts! Hahahaha..." She began laughing at her own pun, but when only a few twitters came from her audience, she quieted and returned to seriousness. The class, however, were dubiously glancing at each other.

"Now in this class, we will study the proper ways to defend ones self. Now I'm sure your wondering, 'why on earth would we ever need this?' and I would answer that there are dark forces out in the world right now, not only He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but others working in league with him." The mother's eyes met her daughters and Harry noticed they seemed to sparkle a bit, but when she continued talking, he assumed it must have been the flickering candles. "There are many sits. in which you might need the means to defend your self without a wand... Yes?" 

A hand had risen in the back of the Gryffindors, and nobody was surprised when it was Hermione's. "What's a sit?" she asked, and the Defense Professor winced and wrinkled her nose. 

"Am I letting my American side out? Oh well. 'Sits' are just situations abbreviated. There are a lot of abbreviated words in the U.S." Some giggles met those words, and the woman seemed to hearten, then said, "Now where was I... Oh, yes. Some situations where one might need to defend ones self without a wand could be if your trying to get to your wand, your wand might be damaged, you might not have access to your wand though it's with you, or you could plain just not have it. The list just goes on." A roll of her eyes came with that statement. "So in this class we shall learn the basics of defending yourself, and hopefully we shall get to the special and more difficult moves to disarm and even disable an opponent. Now if everyone will please line up on this line please."

The Gryffindors hurried to do her bidding, some grumbles erupted, but Professor Thompson soon began talking again.

"In this class, no whining, sniveling, or complaining will be prohibited. I am a hard taskmaster, for I was placed under the Mistress Caroline McDonavan when I was just five, and I studied under her for seven years until I was invited to the Elementary American School of Magic. I have adopted her technique, and I'm sorry if I'm harsh." The professor was now pacing up and down the line, her hands clasped behind her back. "I will try to help as much as I can, supporting you, not condoning you, helping you, but I cannot do any of those things if you do not try! I expect full effort from everyone in this class, and if I don't get it . . . I will have consequences."

Adessa's mother stopped pacing and was now holding still, only her eyes taking in every movement her students made. "I am doing this for you, you know, not for myself. Not for the money. Not for my daughter. For you. And what you learn in this class may save you from falling in the upcoming war, and fall some of you will." The seriousness and solemness of the class was suddenly lifted when an evil grin appeared on her face. "That's also why I am teaching a normal class for the Slytherins. I was warned they were a nasty, whiny, complainy bunch, and none of them were in Harry's elite last year," Yet another cough came from Professor Elane Thompson, and her daughter delicately offered her something called a 'cough drop'. "So what I'm basically saying," Elane interrupted her daughter, "Is that effort is what's important in this class. If you put in effort, I can help." She carefully looked each student in front of her in the eye.

"Alright. On a lighter note, let's get started." The martial arts teacher began, "Adessa here, my daughter, will help me demonstrate and instruct, though she still has a long way to go . . ." 

"Mom!" Adessa protested, but her mother continued. 

"Yes, dear, now everyone watch closely while how Dessa shows you how to properly fall without hurting yourself. It is often not the blow inflicted on a body that injures it the most, but more often the fall that comes after that can hurt the body more. Now show them, Dessa."

"But mom," The professor's daughter began, looking pole-axed. "I thought we'd start with staff work! At least with hand to hand combat . . . " Dessa broke off at the look in her mother's eyes. "Okay, okay . . . " And with that she let herself fall to the ground, and smacked the ground, landing flat on her stomach with her hands planted firmly on the ground. With a sigh, she got up off the ground, and dusted herself off. "Again!" Elane said, and with another sigh, she smacked the ground again. "Now all of you try! Don't hurt each other!" Muffled thumps were music to Elane's ears.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Alright! That's enough!" Professor Thompson called after an hour and a half's thumping on the ground and a billion bruises. "Everyday I'm going to let you out of class half an hour early so you can have time to go up to your tower to shower and change." The young professor paused and posed dramatically. "Aren't I just soooooo nice!" A few short laughs were all that could be expected from the tired class. 

Everyone began to file out of the room, waving weary farewells to the professor and her daughter. Elane suddenly ran to the door and yelled, "Oh! I forgot! No homework!! Now aren't I the nicest?" And a few cheers met her words. She went back in her class room.

"I'd say that was successful, wouldn't you Dessa?" Elane asked her daughter as they walked up to her rooms. 

"Yes, mom, it was." Adessa replied with a shrug, "I think they were a bit, um, astounded by your speech though. And by the bruises. Did you really have to carry it out that long? You repeated yourself many times." 

Elane winced, and her shrug matched her daughters to the shirt ripples. "Oh well. At least they got an impression." After Elane had entered her rooms, she noticed her daughter was still with her. "Don't you have to go back to the Tower? It's almost bedtime." A shifty look appeared in Adessa's eyes. "What aren't you telling me? Are the girls not nice?" Her daughter still wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Tell me!" The mother demanded.

"I couldn't sleep . . . " A small oh appeared around Elane's mouth as she realized what Adessa implied. 

"Well . . . I suppose you could sleep here for tonight . . . " A happy squeal issued from Dessa as she hugged her mother tight. 

"Thanks mom! Can I crack the window too?" Adessa's voice was breathless with happiness. 

"I suppose . . . But you owe me, girl!" Elane said with a smile as she changed into her p.j.'s and hopped into her bed. She watched calmly as he daughter cracked the single window open an inch and made a pulling gesture with her hand. A wind swept in through the crack, and slowly lifted Adessa's feet off the floor until her body was stretched out parallel to the floor. A sigh of contentment echoed over from the girl floating on a breath of wind.

"Thanks, mom." She said quietly, "Good night."

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AN: Hey all! Or at least, the lack of all. *sigh* I hope you liked it. And the plot just thickens, or, well, there's really no plot introed yet is there. Well...unless you caught the hint up there. I hope you like my idea about defending one's self with out a wand class. No, Kirseth, not fetching. And if anyone noticed a similarity in the teaching the class how to "fall" between here and "First Test" by Tamora Pierce, yes you're right. I got the idea from there. I hope you liked it!

YOU'RE NOT REVIEWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PUSH THE LITTLE GREY BUTTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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	4. Contact and Plans

**__**

Chapter Four

The woods outside the Malfoy manor were dark, still, lifeless. Nothing moved. Nothing, at least within a mile of that desolate stronghold of the Dark Shadow, except for one, small girl, maybe 16 years old, lying face down on the forest floor, hiding. Waiting. Listening.

Watching.

The front door of the mansion blasted open, creaking on its hinges, a note the hiding girl made in her mind, and a man with long, white hair stepped through the gaping doorway. A woman followed, tears streaming down her face, as she tried to stop him by clinging to the sleeve of his robe.

"Lucius!" The woman's voice was clogged with shed and unshed tears. "It's bad enough you are one of His, but dragging your innocent son in…." 

"Narissa, that is enough!" Lucius Malfoy turned on his wife, his voice a thunderous roar. "Be silent woman! This is not your decision! It is the Dark Lord's! Draco WILL become a Death Eater, tonight, and you can do nothing to stop him. Or Him, for that matter! Now go back inside and prepare a feast of celebration for tonight! GO!"

The sobbing woman fled inside, slamming the door behind her.

The man in front of the house sighed and passed a weary hand in front of his face. In a barely audible mutter, Lucius said, "And now off to his lordship to watch my son be condemned to the same fate I have been." The girl in the forest tensed at these words, and whispered something in turn. A small bur rose from the bush beside her and went hurtling, too fast for the human eye to see, to latch itself on to the man's cloak sleeve.

All this while, Malfoy just stood there, as if waiting for a blow to fall, bracing himself for whatever unpleasantries that awaited him, then Apparated away.

The girl stayed frozen in the brush for a few moments more, then slowly stood. She stared at the pace the Senior Malfoy had been standing on the driveway, then strangely began to speak, her voice soft and solemn.

"Sis—What's up? The senior Malfoy's on the move. His son's to be initiated tonight. Do not let him leave the castle, at all costs. I repeat, do not let Draco leave the castle. I set a tracking Bur on Malfoy, and I'm taking the Earth Paths to the meeting and initiation.

"Hurry. I don't know how long I can hold against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Or Him."

At these words, the girl faltered, and the forest-green orb of energy into which she had been speaking pulsated. Her face turned slightly pale, but she continued her narrative resolutely. 

"So hurry. Anyway, tell Mom I say hi. I'll send another message before I get to the meeting. I love you both. Talk to you later Twin-Dessa, Della. Identification code, 19382834048294828. 2:38 p.m., on Tuesday."

Adella Thompson sighed, and then gave a dismissing wave of her hand. The orb of earth zoomed off into the night, the girl watching it till it was gone from sight. 

Adella's eyebrows knit themselves together in concentration and the ground around her began to move in a jelly-like consistency. Her body began to shimmer and turn transparent as she slipped feet first into the forest floor. Soon there was nothing left above the leave covered ground other than a soft green glow where she had sunk into the ground.

The ground streaked off into the forest and was soon lost to sight.

~*~*~*~

Professor Binns was a real bore, Adessa Thompson thought as she tried in vain to pay attention to the ghost droning on about the Dragons' Law of Ownership of 567 a.d.. _What a boring teacher, what a boring topic, what a boring day… _She glanced out the window at the clouded and dreary sky. A sigh from the famous Harry Potter sitting beside her she echoed with a yawn. She wrote on a little slip of paper, "I've never been this bored in my life. Sign if you agree" and slipped it into his lap. His eyes focused on the little thing, then he grinned and signed his name quickly. He passed it next to Ron, who was on his other side, and he signed his name as well. The next person it went to was Hermione, which was a mistake. She saw the scrap of paper, and snarled. She ripped it to shreds, then settled back into her frantic note taking.

Harry and Dessa just smiled knowingly at each other, then turned back to their aimless daydreaming. 

"And on the twenty-seventh of June, in 567 a.d., the first law of dragon ownership was instituted…" Professor Binns droned on, "The second law involving dragon ownership was placed in 568, on January second, at precisely 6 minutes past one in the afternoon, and twelve seconds. This law banned the ownership of dragons, though from that second to now, there have been amendments added and some have broken this law. Even some on our very grounds right now…." A knowing, yet guilty look passed between the Trio, and Harry mouthed "Hagrid" for Adessa's benefit. Forgetting that little tangin, Professor Binns continued, "Some of these amendments added to the Second Law Concerning the Species Draconia, or dragon, involved hunting, breeding…."

Adessa attention wandered again, and soon she was staring into a distant, dusty corner of the room. Harry's eyes stared out past Dessa's head, and outside into the gloom. He was just about to close his eyes to take a little nap, when a glowing green…something floated in front of the window. His eyes widened and he nudged the drowsing girl beside him. 

Dessa looked out the window and she sat smiled happily. She seemed to be listening to something. Soon her smile faltered. Her eyes widened in shock. Her face paled, and her hands, now grasping her history textbook, shook slightly. Her lips formed a curse, then muttered, "I have to make sure I didn't miss hear anything…the wards protecting this place are pretty strong….have to be sure…" 

She ripped another piece of paper from the page she was supposedly taking notes, and hurriedly scrawled something there. She passed this to Harry, who took it from her trembling hands. It read, "I need to go outside to check something, then go to my mother. Please help me." Harry mouthed the word what, and Adessa grabbed the paper from him, scribbling something else. "That is none of your business. Please."

Harry shook his head, and scrawled in his turn on the scrap of paper. What it said Adessa seemed to accept, and she nodded wearily before sinking her head down on her hands. The words he had written played into Harry's mind.

"Wait until the end of class." _Whatever it is, it can wait the 3 minutes we have left in class_, he thought.

~*~*~*~

Three minutes ticked by slowly, seeming to Harry like they were three hours, not minutes, for he was just as curious to see why Adessa was so frantic, as she was anxious. The minutes must have seemed akin to thirty hours to Adessa, because she kept fidgeting.

Finally, the bell rang, and Adessa leapt out of her seat, leaving her books forgotten on the desk, and raced from the room. Harry followed in suit. The pair sped to the Entrance Hall, Harry just a step behind the daughter of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and they soon reached the closed doors. Harry began to slow down to open them for Adessa, but she plowed right along. Just as she came within ten feet of the massive doors, she flung and hand out as if slapping the air, and the doors crashed open, as if blown by a sudden wind emanating from….Harry had no idea. Harry turned to the girl, about to ask if she had felt the wind, and was shocked when he spotted the little green light he had seen was sitting in her hands.

A thing of green light, sitting in the American girl's hands….This couldn't be natural… Even by Harry's standards.

Harry slowly walked up to Adessa, and moved in front of her to look her in the face, and saw with shock that her eyes were wide with terrible understanding. She seemed to be trying to slow her breathing, as if to calm down. Harry had just gathered enough courage to say something, when she released the ball of green light, and he was blown back back by another unknown wind. 

Harry was blown back five feet by the sudden blast of wind that came from Adessa as she turned on him, her eyes glowing that strange green of that orb that had caused her so much distress. Her eyes were full of anger, and she turned that loose upon him. For a split instant, Harry felt a wind surrounding him, tearing him to pieces, ripping into his skin, cutting him to shreds….

Then he moved his hand in a feeble blocking wave and yelled "Stop!" and the wind stopped. Completely. Harry looked up in surprise, and found Adessa sitting on _her _rump, several feet away. To his surprise, there were tears glistening in her eyes as she turned away. 

"I'm so s-sorry…" She whispered, barely audible to Harry, though he strained to catch her every word. "I'm sorry…it's affected b-b-by my emotions…I had a picture of Him getting her again in my mind when you touched me…I need to go speak with my mom!!" And with that, she stood shakily and began to jog wearily towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and her mother's office. Harry shook himself out of his shock, and put her arm over her shoulder to help her. 

"It's okay…But only if you tell me what happened. What that was. Only then will I forgive you." There was a teasing and malicious glint in Harry's eyes as a bit of pleading formed in hers.

"I can't tell you….Maybe later." She sighed, but remained stubborn throughout the rest of the walk to the DADA room. She was leaning on Harry's arm, something HE was very happy about, but earned him some strange looks and chucks from other people the two passed. Draco Malfoy could plainly be heard "whispering" to Crabbe and Goyle, "Look at Potty! He's decided he wants to go after the teachers daughter…." but his voice went unheard by Harry and Adessa, for they were just 

Harry and Adessa reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts room and was about to knock, when the door, swung open untouched. Upon seeing Professor Thompson sitting behind her desk at the far end of the classroom, it came to him.

"Wind…" Harry whispered to himself, but Adessa caught his revelation and gave him a sharp look. 

"You are far too perceptive, Mr. Potter. I'd keep that close to your chest, for a while at least." And with that, the professor's daughter took her arm off Harry's shoulder and marched resolutely to her mother's desk. Whispers were exchanged. Harry walked in the opposite direction, and was about to exit the classroom when a sharp voice said, "Mr. Potter. Stay!" Harry felt like he was a dog being told a command. 

~*~*~*~

"Mom! Get it through your head! Della is in _danger_!" Adessa's voice was barely at a whisper as she flung her hands around in anger, just out of earshot of Harry as he watched them with curiosity. Her mother just looked calmly at her, without saying a word. After several more minutes of this, Adessa slowed her thrashing, and stood slowly. "And you are just going to leave her there, to be tortured. Your own daughter!" Adessa's voice cracked and rose to a shout as her flailing began again. 

"Adessa!!!" Elane cried, rising to her feet and catching her daughter's arms in her hands. "Settle down! We are going to rescue Della, don't worry about that, but you know as well as I do that this is a trap! We need to find away around it…" Elane's head whipped around. Adessa followed her mother's gaze, and clenched her fists as she controlled her anger.

"No, mom, no way!" She exclaimed, "Harry is not trained, and relies upon that stupid piece of wood to do anything with his powers, let alone defend himself against Him!" 

Harry now realized they were talking about him, and was quite unhappy with what she had said. "Hey!" he squeaked as he marched up to the professor's desk between the desks. 

"That's not nice! I can take care of myself! I've defeated Voldemort once already, and I can bloody well do so again."

Both women rolled their eyes. "Not Voldemort!" Adessa cried, looking completely exasperated, "Somebody much more powerful than him!"

What blew Harry back was the fact she had said Voldemort's name. Only members of the Order of the Phoenix had ever said his name, and most were quite reluctant. "You…you said his name?" Harry choked out, quite befuddled. 

"Yes, yes!" Adessa brushed this revelation off. "We _Americans _don't believe that a name holds power—just the physical. Well….except Della…but she is weird that way." Harry raised his eyebrows. "What?!" She asked, confused, "There are people far more powerful out there than old Voldie!" She quieted herself at a sharp glance from her mother.

"Nothing. Now who's this 'Him'?" Harry asked, and Adessa didn't look happy, while her mother sat back down. "Well? And who is this 'Della' you keep talking about? Was she captured by Voldemort? By this other Him? Tell me!"

The mother and daughter exchanged glances, then sighed simultaneously, seeming to give up. "Della is my daughter." Elane said gloomily, "Adessa's twin. Adessa and Adella, my big, grown up babies!" Dessa rolled her eyes at Harry. "Della's been spying on Voldemort, because we believe he has connections with Tyrone. The, er, baddie of America."

Harry raised his eyebrows. This was the answer he had _least _expected from his DADA professor. Harry opened his mouth to say as such when a light went off in Adessa's eyes. 

"I have the _best _idea!!!" She exclaimed, completely cutting over what Harry had been about to say. She turned to her mom, ignoring him again. "Della said we have to keep that Draco Malfoy here tonight, at all costs, so…" Adessa paused dramatically, "…how about _Harry_ watches over Draco while we go rescue my sis?! It's perfect!" Adessa was practically dancing as her mother happily nodded her consent. "This will keep Draco here, Harry safe, and leave us to clean up Della's mistake! It's perfect!" The daughter laughed.

Harry however had a shrewd, calculating look on his face. "And how," he asked slowly, "are we going to be able to keep Malfoy here, without stunning him, killing him, or physically knocking him out?!" 

Adessa simply giggled, then murmured out of the side of her mouth, "A good Stupefy would do the trick….if you know what I mean!" Elane coughed, and whistled loudly, after saying, "I hear nothing! I hear nothing!" 

Harry and Adessa both burst out laughing, but the practical part of Harry's mind surfaced another problem. "And how," he asked again, "Are we going to get Malfoy here? For me to Stupefy him of course." Harry could tell the Thompson's had something planned, but wasn't sure.

His suspicions were confirmed when the two women glanced at each other, and grinned an identical evil grin.

"_I _will be taking care of that." Adessa said joyously, but her face clouded. "So, mother dearest," she asked sarcastically, "Why hasn't old Dumbledore noticed that I used my Magic? I mean, I _did_ use a lot." 

Elane simply nodded, and said "He's at the ministry right now, trying to smooth over some….issue. I don't really know, but he is not here, and he won't sense your magic when he isn't on the premises." 

"Okay," Adessa responded, while Harry just looked confused. "Don't worry about it--you will understand later." At that point, the Boy-Who-Lived just gave up. 

"Now let's see if I can get the young Malfoy mofo up here." Adessa grinned evilly again at her mother's reprimand at her language, and responded in a rapper's voice, "What eva'! I do wha' I wan'!" They all laughed, then turned their attention back to the task at hand.

________________________________________________________________________

Author's note: 

SORRY ALL YOU NON-EXISTENT REVIEWERS! Haha I don't have any, but I'm writing to you anyway. It's been a while since I posted, I know, but I've been bogged down in homework. Sorry about the partial/semi/maybe cliffhanger. I'll update as soon as possible. Oh, about the American idioms up there--they are stereotypic American phrases. A "mofo" is….well, a mother f***er. In slang/rap talk. And the one after that, well….that's an inside joke at my school, so most of you people might not get it. 

ANYWAY!

Thank you to TeenTypist, who reviewed, and I'm STILL reading you OotP version!!! IT'S SO GOOD!!! 

Over and out! Haha lol


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